The Application Process

Applying for a course can be a complicated process for international students, so you should be completely confident in your choice before setting the process in motion. Familiarise yourself completely with the course and the institution and ensure it is the one for you

Undergraduate - Application for most full-time undergraduate courses is made through the Central Applications Office (CAO). An application pack and all relevant information is available from:

Central Applications Office
Tower House
Eglington Street
Galway, Ireland
Tel: 00 353 (0)91 509 800
Fax: 00 353 (0)91 562 344
Website: www.cao.ie
Email: help@cao.ie

All the following information relates to the 2009 CAO Handbook  – please check the 2010 CAO Handbook for any changes that may occur in 2010.

Applicants, and international students in particular, should avoid applying near to the Closing Date

Application Type Fee Closing Date
Paper Normal €45 1 Feb (5.15pm)
 Late €90 1 May (5.15pm)
Online Normal €35 20 Jan (5.15pm)
 Late €70 1 May (5.15pm)
Change of Mind - 1 Jul (5.15pm)

International applicants for a course in one of the institutions below and who are presenting school leaver qualifications other than GCEs (UK) must apply by February 1st, or at least have added the course to their original application by March 1st. Late applications in these cases will not be considered.

Athlone Institute of Technology (IT) Limerick IT
IT Carlow IT Sligo
Dundalk IT IT Tallaght
IADT Dun Laoghaire IT Tralee
Galway-Mayo IT Waterford IT
Letterkenny IT Tipperary Institute

People who currently reside, or have resided in the past, outside the EU and are interested in applying for a course in one of the following institutions should contact the Admissions Office of the institute in question. The office will inform you whether to apply through the CAO or directly to the college.

American College – www.amcd.ie
IT Tralee – www.ittralee.ie

Athlone IT – www.ait.ie
Milltown Institute – www.milltown-institute.ie

Carlow College – www.carlowcollege.ie
National College of Ireland – www.ncirl.ie

Cork Institute of Technology – www.cit.ie
National Counselling Inst of Ireland – www.ncii.ie

Dublin Business School – www.dbs.ie
NUI Galway – www.nuigalway.ie

Dublin City University – www.dcu.ie
NUI Maynooth – www.nuim.ie

Dublin Institute of Technology – www.dit.ie
Royal College of Surgeons – www.rcsi.ie

Galway-Mayo IT – www.gmit.ie
Shannon College of Hotel Management – www.shannoncollege.com

Grafton College of Management Sciences – www.graftoncollege.ie
Tipperary Institute – www.tippinst.ie

Griffith College – www.griffith.ie
Trinity College Dublin – www.tcd.ie

Institute of Business & Technology, Swords – www.ibat.ie
University College Cork – www.ucc.ie

IT Carlow – www.itcarlow.ie
University College Dublin – www.ucd.ie

IT Sligo – www.itsligo.ie
University of Limerick – www.ul.ie

Non-EU applicants should contact these colleges well in advance of the Closing Date of 1st February, and preferably not later than the previous 15th December.

Postgraduate – Applications for postgraduate courses in the following universities can be made online through the Postgraduate Applications Centre (www.pac.ie):

• University College Cork (except for non-EU research students)
• Dublin City University
• NUI Maynooth
• NUI Galway
• Trinity College Dublin

A certain amount of courses in these universities are applied for in the old-fashioned paper form fashion; contact the institution in question to see what method applies to your course.

The PAC also facilitates online applications for two specific areas of fourth level study: Public Health Nursing and the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (second level teacher training).

For postgraduate courses in all other institutions, applicants need to contact the college in question directly.

There is no national deadline for applications to postgraduate courses in Ireland, however most taught programmes have a deadline in June/July, while research degrees tend to be much more flexible with year round student enrolment.

Post Leaving Cert (PLC) – Applications to these courses are made directly to the course provider. Academic requirements are significantly lower than for undergraduate courses and applicants are usually required to attend an interview before they are accepted. Application deadlines vary so contact the college in question for further details.

English Language Requirements - International applicants must demonstrate a proficiency in English to the course provider in order to be accepted on to a programme. Acceptance levels can vary, so contact the college in question to see what the exact requirements are. Students applying for a visa must also display proof of English ability to the Irish Dept of Justice. The following examinations are among those accepted for this purpose:

• Cambridge
Minimum score – First Certificate in English (FCE)
• IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
Minimum score - 5
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
Minimum score – 500 (paper), 173 (computer), 61 (internet)
• ETAPP (English Test for Academic and Professional Purposes)
Minimum score – B2

NB – Minimum scores refer to visa requirements only. If a college’s requirements are higher, you must still meet those scores in order to be accepted onto the course.